did not open, even though her natural curiosity begged her to. He had a few classic historical tomes, a book on warfare and strategy, and several on maritime business, astronomy, and physics. Even a thin volume of poetry. They were all ordinary books. Books you might assume belonged to an educated man.
But one book stood out from the rest. It had a simple black leather cover, worn along the edge as though read many times. The faded gold leaf embossing was illegible, and her curiosity roused. She turned it to the light to better see the title. It was difficult to decipher and when she did she was flabbergasted to read: A Modern Gentleman’s Practical Guide to Seduction and the Act of Love .
Sitting there on the floor, she opened the book and fanned the pages, finding not only text but also drawings and color plates. She’d never seen anything like it in her life and sat with open-mouthed wonder as she realized what the couples in those drawings were doing. The book very graphically depicted what should be a private, intimate act between a man and his wife.
Heat coursed through her as her entire body blushed while she turned page after page. In all her nearly twenty-one years, she’d never imagined the acts she saw portrayed within the covers of the book she held on her lap. Sarah was no innocent. She had witnessed the mating of animals. But then, animals did it only one way, whereas according to this book, the innumerable and varying positions that a man and woman could possibly copulate boggled her mind. She had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from squealing in shock as each one appeared more and more inconceivable.
It was all surprisingly erotic. She felt curious, and something else, titillated perhaps, just looking at them. Some of the poses she was certain were physically impossible. Surely a woman could not bend her body in such positions. They must be a figment of the artist’s imagination.
Sarah flipped through the book, stopping frequently to study the drawings. She set it aside, eager to read it as soon as she was finished with her self-imposed task of righting the room. Though there were a great number of drawings and several color plates, the chapters of text appeared enlightening to someone such as herself, uneducated in matters pertaining to the marriage bed.
She finished rearranging that drawer and started on the other. When she’d finished those, she quickly did the same to the clothes press and bureau. Two hours after she’d begun, and just as she finished her chore, someone knocked on the door.
Grabbing the book, she stuffed it under the pillow and smoothed flat the bed cover, before moving to the door. “Yes?”
“I was wondering if you needed anything,” the captain said.
Sarah slid the bolt open and allowed him in, unable to look him in the eye after seeing the outrageous depictions in the book. Her imagination began to take hold of her conscious thought, and images of her and this captain flitted through her mind, causing her to flush with embarrassment.
His eyebrows arched as he noticed the difference in the room. He seemed pleased that she’d righted the space after having torn it asunder the night before in search of the unwanted visitor.
“The cabin looks better than it did when last I saw it.”
Sarah nodded, her gaze scanning to room, trying to imagine it as he saw it. “I felt it only right that I clean the mess I’d made. And I’ve taken to reorganizing your bins beneath the benches and the drawers beneath the bed. Also your dresser and clothes press.” With her shoulders back and chin high, she was proud of the job she’d done. “Everything is neat and orderly now,” she added.
“Did you not think that I might find your interference an invasion of my privacy?”
“Not at all. I cannot think clearly with clutter up to my eyeballs, as it was. And I don’t know how you do.”
“I knew where everything was.”
“And you will relearn where everything is
But one book stood out from the rest. It had a simple black leather cover, worn along the edge as though read many times. The faded gold leaf embossing was illegible, and her curiosity roused. She turned it to the light to better see the title. It was difficult to decipher and when she did she was flabbergasted to read: A Modern Gentleman’s Practical Guide to Seduction and the Act of Love .
Sitting there on the floor, she opened the book and fanned the pages, finding not only text but also drawings and color plates. She’d never seen anything like it in her life and sat with open-mouthed wonder as she realized what the couples in those drawings were doing. The book very graphically depicted what should be a private, intimate act between a man and his wife.
Heat coursed through her as her entire body blushed while she turned page after page. In all her nearly twenty-one years, she’d never imagined the acts she saw portrayed within the covers of the book she held on her lap. Sarah was no innocent. She had witnessed the mating of animals. But then, animals did it only one way, whereas according to this book, the innumerable and varying positions that a man and woman could possibly copulate boggled her mind. She had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from squealing in shock as each one appeared more and more inconceivable.
It was all surprisingly erotic. She felt curious, and something else, titillated perhaps, just looking at them. Some of the poses she was certain were physically impossible. Surely a woman could not bend her body in such positions. They must be a figment of the artist’s imagination.
Sarah flipped through the book, stopping frequently to study the drawings. She set it aside, eager to read it as soon as she was finished with her self-imposed task of righting the room. Though there were a great number of drawings and several color plates, the chapters of text appeared enlightening to someone such as herself, uneducated in matters pertaining to the marriage bed.
She finished rearranging that drawer and started on the other. When she’d finished those, she quickly did the same to the clothes press and bureau. Two hours after she’d begun, and just as she finished her chore, someone knocked on the door.
Grabbing the book, she stuffed it under the pillow and smoothed flat the bed cover, before moving to the door. “Yes?”
“I was wondering if you needed anything,” the captain said.
Sarah slid the bolt open and allowed him in, unable to look him in the eye after seeing the outrageous depictions in the book. Her imagination began to take hold of her conscious thought, and images of her and this captain flitted through her mind, causing her to flush with embarrassment.
His eyebrows arched as he noticed the difference in the room. He seemed pleased that she’d righted the space after having torn it asunder the night before in search of the unwanted visitor.
“The cabin looks better than it did when last I saw it.”
Sarah nodded, her gaze scanning to room, trying to imagine it as he saw it. “I felt it only right that I clean the mess I’d made. And I’ve taken to reorganizing your bins beneath the benches and the drawers beneath the bed. Also your dresser and clothes press.” With her shoulders back and chin high, she was proud of the job she’d done. “Everything is neat and orderly now,” she added.
“Did you not think that I might find your interference an invasion of my privacy?”
“Not at all. I cannot think clearly with clutter up to my eyeballs, as it was. And I don’t know how you do.”
“I knew where everything was.”
“And you will relearn where everything is
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